LupRocks Gossip

AGTA Spectrum Awards Brings Big Color to the Big City

The media event for the 25th Annual AGTA Spectrum Awards took place yesterday in New York City and all 500 + pieces entered were celebrated by the impressive roster of media that attended the exclusive viewing.  It’s not a bad gig hanging out in a sun-drenched, West Village loft all day, and we here at Lup HQ had to remind ourselves that we were actually working and not just hanging out in a gem filled room trying on fabulous jewelry and sharing our excitement with influential media! 

LupRocks.com’s own Erica Courtney took home four different awards—two in Bridal, one in Classical and one in Evening Wear!  We were also super impressed with the designer Evelyin Clothier, who submitted some of our favorite pieces, and we were in love with the resounding media favorite--an exquisitely crafted enamel cuff with amethyst and citrines by Rina Limor.

Photographs are being shot as we speak, so we’ll update with pics of some of our favorites in future posts. 

LupRocks.com Designers in WWD Accessories Supplement

We were thrilled to come across two of LupRocks.com designers in the highly acclaimed WWD Accessories Supplement.   A nod from this venerable publication means that one really has arrived, and TDM Design and Helena de Natalio are well-deserving of the acknowledgment (especially considering that everyone in the LupRocks.com office is currently rocking pieces from both of these designers!). 

Boho in Soho

This past Wednesday night, I attended the launch party of an exciting new magazine called Boho.  It was held at a very quaint Soho boutique called Kaight, and the refreshments consisted of a new kind of vodka that is healthy for you.  Well, not exactly, but it is enriched with antioxidents.  It was a great even, and we here at Lup HQ are very excited about this all green ecofirendly magaizne.  Plus, even in the first issue we saw two LupRocks desigenrs: AJaron and Shag Bags.   We can't wait to see what else they have in store for next issue!

You can purchase BoHo magazine at any specialty newstand or take a look online. 

when you need something new to read

These are three new links we stumbled upon recently, that we think are worth checking out. 

Gloss: The Fashion Magazine

Hint Fashion Magazine

Fashion 156

A blog about blogs

If you are addicted to gossip magazines or insist on flipping through the pages of every fashion mag – no judgment, we do it too - but are sick and tired of wasting that four dollars every week at your local newsstand, then we have a solution for you. (Although I am sure you have other plans for that four dollars – hmm…like a cup of a certain over priced big chain brand of coffee?) It’s called the internet. Magazine addict meet Mr./Mrs. blogger. We think you two will be very happy together.

Why you NEED blogs:

1. All blogs offer information available for sharing. If a million people each have a blog, then there exists a million more pieces of information available to you that weren’t there before. By searching for blogs (google has a search option for this) you can find a blog by a commodity financial-ist discussing gold prices, another jewelry designer in your neighborhood who is sharing her do’s and don’ts of getting her business started, or anything else you would like to know more about. Disclaimer: most of the information is of no value to you. You will not want to read a blog about the Jones’s family vacation in the middle of nowhere. Everyone should go out and find one blog to read today besides this one.
2. Sort and save. Three small words that will make one big change in your life. Stop wasting your time, which you have less and less of these days, by flipping through 20, 40, 100 pages of advertisements and articles you won’t read, when you can more simply just click on the information you do want to read.
3. You are saving paper. We know the jewelry industry is in-tune with the flower child / tree hugger that lives within all of us. How do we know you care? JCK put out a “Green” issue for April, and it is packed with articles about environmentalism and the industry. And that’s right – JCK has a blog too.
4. There are people more aggressive about staying on top of their topics of interest than you, and they are willing to share their info. Use this to your benefit! For example: AngelaReneDesigns leant a brooch to David Schwimmer’s girlfriend for a big movie premier. That very same week she found a blog that had this picture of the lady de jour wearing her brooch. She now has a picture of the star in her jewelry to share with her potential clients/customers. (Congrats Angele Renee Designs on the placement!)
5. You can find the same quality of information in blogs that is in printed media (if you look), except that blogs are not censored (some are), and so they are often much more entertaining to read. They have not been edited to please advertisers. The competition for readers causes the bloggers to be witty and relevant. What more could you ask for?
6. Blogs about sharing. So, not that you have taken, give back. I know you have thoughts and information you want to share. A successful sale or placement story, a crisis you solved, a sale your company is having, etc., are all good things for you to put in YOUR blog.

Choose one printed magazine, (the one you don’t really read), start reading it online, (almost all magazines are online now), and while your out there in cyber world, find one blog to read as well.

Cupid is fired! LupRocks now holds your fate!

No one plays a role in Valentine’s Day quite like a jewelry designer (except maybe those wonderful human beings who make chocolate, and any reader of our Gossip section knows how we feel about chocolate).  Mid-February rolls around, and after killing ourselves to get a reservation we sit through dinner waiting for gift time.  Appetizers, entrees, dessert, champagne toast, blah, blah, blah, …and it’s time! We read the cards, smiles begin to form, we perhaps even let out a sigh.  However, the real excitement we feel is for that tiny velvet, leather, suede, or fill in your packaging material here, that follows the card.  The best things don’t always come in small packages, but a small package on V Day can only mean one very good thing: Jewelry!

Since we are on the producing side of this gift ritual (and hopefully the receiving as well), we dedicate this Valentines Day to those LupRocks members whose V-Day gift came in the form of great exposure through product placement.  Congrats everyone!!!

Alex Woo – Actress Samantha Harris was seen wearing white gold and diamond Lucia earrings on the red carpet of  The Air I Breath movie premiere hosted by H Magazine and Think Film, and at the after party at the hip and trendy Crimson night club in Hollywood.   Also, Leighton Mester, who plays Blair on one of our favorite brain candy shows Gossip Girl, was seen wearing an Alex Woo letter L necklace in white gold and diamonds at the Verizon / People Magazine party on February 8th.

Wendy Culpepper - The wonderful costume designer of the upcoming film Cold Souls recently reported to LupRocks what great success she had pulling product for her leading cast. We weren’t sure who the lucky designer was until we received a heartfelt email from Wendy Culpepper Jewelry, who had three placements in the film.  Actress Emily Watson wore the Zahra Cuff, actress Lauren Ambrose wore the Genevieve Earrings, and actress Dina Korzun wore the 5 Stacking Band Rings.  Big congrats to Wendy Culpepper Jewelry’s first placement in a feature film!!

Judith Bright – The Wall Street Journal recently quoted an editor of a Nashville, Tenn., lifestyle magazine, saying LupRocks member Judith Bright is one of his wife’s favorite designers and his go-to source for the perfect Valentine’s gifts (his wife, apparently, has been eying several pieces).  Judith Bright’s jewelry will also be seen in the upcoming season of America’s Next top Model.

Read the article!

Amali - The stylist for Tori Spelling chose an Amali pendant for the actress to wear on the cover an upcoming edition of People magazine.  We can’t wait to see it!

Monica Rich Kosann – Halley Berry was seen wearing a Monica Rich Kosann locket in this week’s Us Magazine.   We wonder whose pic was inside Halley’s locket?!

Had a placement that we didn’t mention here?  Email me!

InStyle Magazine Features Looks From Gossip Girl

With the show off to a huge hit, it seems that Gossip Girl is generating all the right kind of buzz. InStyle Magazine Online now features the best looks from each episode and tells us – the fashion hungry - where to get the fabulous clothing and accessories seen on the leading stars.

InStyle loved the 6 inch long necklace from LupRocks member AngelaReneDesigns, and the multi strands bracelet from Luprocks member Kimberly Baker, all seen on Serena in episode two. Also featured in this episode was jewelry from LupRocks.com member Judith Bright.  Congratulations ladies! Continue to check out InStyle every Thursday to see what looks they loved, who from LupRocks made it on to the list, and where to buy all your favorite designs.

See all of Kimberly Baker's jewelry on LupRocks.com.

See all of AngelaReneDesign's jewelry on Luprocks.com

See all of Judith Bright's jewelry on LupRocks.com.

Trend Report - Cosmopolitan Forecast

After attending the ever interesting and informative Cosmopolitan Fun Fearless Female, a jewelry and accessories forecast presented by Brooke Rosen Lucks - Associate Accessories Editor of Cosmopolitan, we have the inside secrets to keep you in the loop on upcoming jewelry trends. Follow these five trends as they pop up in your in-scoop trend magazines, on the streets of the big city, on the big and little screen celebrities you love to watch, and hopefully on you!

1) Lions, tigers, and bears. Oh My! Animal inspired jewelry is making a roar in the upcoming season. Besides the animals that have appeared in this trend before, try something unique with a pink diamond encrusted octopus by Christian Tse, the light and airy enamel and diamond dragon fly by Rand, or the silver and diamond insect by RedStart.

2) Futuristic and architectural designed clothing are filling the pages of our favorite fashion magazines. Compliment this new look with art-deco designed jewelry like the mixed metal and diamond bands from Fana, or eye catching cuffs from Kara Ross.

3) Follow the rule of the four B’s this season: Big, bright, bold, and beautiful. Make a statement with your jewelry choice like stand out rings from Daniela Swaebe or chunky bracelets from Alexis Bittar.

4) Big chunky watches double as a time teller and a bracelet. To perfect the time telling accessory look this season give your wrist a work out with big oversized rose gold watch.

5) Express your inner-self with your outer-wear. Adorn yourself in jewelry that makes a personal statement, and that can stand alone to go with that less couture dress you may have picked up while browsing through H&M or Forever 21. Alex Woo and Carolina Bucci both offer pieces that may show the sweet yet always fashion conscious inner you.

Boy Oh Boy! BlumLux Men's jewelry is HOT!

This year, fashionista femmes won’t be the only ones catching the light with their high fashion jewelry. The Fall 2007 issue of JCK Luxury points the modern and stylish male in the right direction--the destination being Luprocks member Nick Blum’s designer line BlumLux.

The glamorous yet masculine collection is perfect for any man trying to add a little extra “bling” into his life. BlumLux is featured in the cover article “Oh, Man” among a few choice men’s jewelry designers as a rising star to keep an eye on.

To see more BlumLux Jewelry on LupRocks, Click Here.

LupRocks Featured in WWD!

We're excited to announce that LupRocks was covered in Wednesday's edition of WWD.

We're featured in the "Memo Pad" section under "In The Bag." We are truly thrilled that one of the world's most trusted news sources for fashion thought we were worth checking out.